Through the Eyes of a Victim
by AgentPhantom
Summary: Sharpay was given an assignment: Reflect on her senior year. Her junior year left her permanently scarred - mentally and physically. After something traumatic happened to her, she moves from Salt Lake High to East High in hopes of forgetting a past that always seems to be gnawing away at her. She finds solace in East High's music program and in a boy. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Letter of Introduction

**CONFIDENTIAL**: IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND YOU AREN'T MS. DARBUS, THEN PLEASE STOP.

Dear Ms. Darbus,

You gave us one hell of assignment: Use however many words you want. A short essay. A novel's worth. Using these words, reflect on your senior year.

The assignment doesn't sound that hard. I mean, it's just like writing in a journal, right? But there's so many things that I wanted to include in this assignment. I didn't know where to begin. How about my first day at East High? Or my last days at Salt Lake High? I could've started with my first time in the East High showmanship/ music department. Or the night that changed me forever. Again, this assignment wasn't easy. But, as I started writing, everything sort of came together.

Ms. Darbus, I'm trusting you not to reveal this assignment to anyone. You and I both know that us theater thespians can be some of the most deceptive people who aren't worthy of trust. But I trust you with this assignment. I can trust you with anything.

This is the story of the fall and rise of Sharpay Evans. I am who I am today because I was deeply hurt. I am who I am today because of my involvement in this music program. This girl that you see standing - or sitting, if we're still in the classroom context - before you, she's her confident, and, at times, bitchy self because of moving here to East High.

I can, however, easily say that my moving here has changed me for the better. Everyday, I'd contemplated things that shouldn't run through anyone's mind, but I met some of the most amazing people ever. I've bonded with my fellow thespian twin, Ryan. I've fought with several other students in the musical program. I even met a boy.

Here we go. You are in for a roller coaster ride.

With love and warm regards,

Sharpay Evans

P.S. I loved the outfit you were wearing for the school's production of Miss Saigon. It was gorgeous.

* * *

Okay, so I didn't entirely want to get rid of this story because I think I had an okay concept, but I am continuing this story. I just feel like I'm a better author now, in comparison to where I was a couple of years ago. Review!


	2. The First Day of School

My first day at East High was kind of a drag:

It was the first day of senior year, so I'd come into the school expecting everyone to have their circle of friends. I understand it though. I would be like that if I'd stayed at Salt Lake High School. I had my group of my friends that I was certain I'd never leave.

I still miss them - the friends I had to leave behind - to this very day. I had everything a girl wanted: the nicest clothes, the best friends, a great theater program, a loving family, money. But I had to get away from Salt Lake High.

I try to get rid of the nostalgia by focusing on my schedule. My home room teacher's name read "Mrs. Darbus", Room 403.

The car comes to a stop in the parking lot. I stop the engine and let out a sigh. Ryan, my thespian soul mate and brother, notices this and tries to comfort me. "Listen, Sharpay, this is your year. You can make it through this. You are one the most resilient people I know." He's interrupted by the sound of a bell. "Come on, we'd better get to class. Mom would kill us if we were late on the first day of school."

Ryan Evans. My twin. My thespian. My best friend. I love him more than I love myself sometimes. He's incredibly talented and a joy to be around. I'm so appreciative for his attempts at comforting me. "I love you, Ry! Let's go."

I walk into the school and make my way for Room 403. I walk in and sit in a chair close to the front of the room. The bell rings and Ms. Darbus begins her rant. She didn't really talk about anything important. She discusses the importance of staying on top of grades, and remaining involved in extracurricular activities. For a ten minute period, she could cram a lot of information. She also makes mention of the audition for the winter musical production of the her Twinkle Towne show. This immediately strikes a chord with me.

Even back at Salt Lake High, performing was my passion. I was involved in every musical held at all of my schools. I could recite all of the lines from West Side Story, or Grease. The mentioning of Twinkle Towne provided a sense of security and comfort. Surely, I thought to myself, being involved in the musical would help get me back.

Before the period ends, she has a little surprise for me. "We have a student new to the halls of East High," she almost sings as she makes eye contact with me. "Would you like to introduce yourself. (Ms. Darbus, why?)

_No, I don't want to introduce myself, _I think, _but she's a teacher so I have no choice but to introduce myself_. So I awkwardly do so. "Hi. My name is Sharpay Evans." Even before I can finish my last name, the bell rings and everyone's off to their first period.

"Ms. Evans, I look forward to seeing you in my fourth period," Ms. Darbus says as she begins organizing her desk. "You'd make a fine addition."

I look down on my schedule to see "DRAMA/ MUSICAL THEATER - COURSE 0089" on my schedule and also see Ms. Darbus as the teacher. At that moment, I'm almost completely certain that I'm going to like her.

She reminds me a lot of Ms. Shaw, the performing arts director at Salt Lake High. Witty. Ditsy. Theatrical. Flamboyant.

I don't really know how to respond so I nod politely and make my way for my first period, which is "HUMAN ANAT. AND PHYS. - COURSE 0045". I take my seat and the teacher, Mr. Ramirez, begins talking about how excited he was to have a new batch of students eager to learn about the functions of organs and organ systems. As he's talking about his excitement, he hands us a card on which we'd write about our favorite bodily system.

His speech is dull at best, but he's enthusiastic about his course. However, I'm not really interested, so I take a moment to look around the room and size up my fellow peers. One student catches my eyes. He's wearing a basketball warm-up jacket. I can't make out his last name, but I'm intrigued. He's cute. He definitely is.

_No_, I think, _boys are assholes_. I make it a point to stay away from him, even though he's cute. Those are the most dangerous guys.

This day isn't exactly showing a lot of promise. I didn't care about any bodily systems. My second period and third periods, AP Calculus and AP Government aren't anymore exciting than Mr. Ramirez's tangent on the reproductive system. I almost fall asleep in my third period when I begin thinking about my fourth period.

Drama. Musical theater. This was the stuff that excited me. My attention shifts from the sheets of paper we were told to read to the clock. My eyes remain fixed until I hear the bell.

"Yay," I yell. I cheeks turn a bright shade of red._ Oops_, I think,_ that was really loud_. The rest of my third period begins to stare at me. Crap, they think I'm schizophrenic now. "I'm just excited because it's almost lunch." My attempt at saving face proves in vain, but the other students don't seem to care too much.

I make my way to the theater. I see Ms. Darbus standing on the stage. She's telling her students to sit down in the chairs in the audience. Before the bell rings and Ms. Darbus begins talking about the class, I take in the atmosphere. The theater is beautiful. The stage is huge. The lights above the stage look expensive. The orchestra pit is gorgeous. The atmosphere is so inviting. I'm going to love it, I can't help thinking. She's about to start and I spot Ryan out, so I sit next to him.

"Welcome, thespians, non-thespians, crew, and the rest of you. Welcome to drama and musical theater," Ms. Darbus says. She begins relating her past experiences with musical theater and she talks about her qualifications and merits. "Since we have a limited amount of time, I'd like to start with what we're going to be doing for the first week of school. Each of you will sing a song. It's a credit/ no-credit assignment, so skill level won't be assessed. I just want to see where our potential performers are."

Some people react with elation. Other react with dread. I notice that there probably is no more than twenty five people in the class. There's only a handful of guys, Ryan included. One girl stands up and volunteers. She's wearing a shirt, floral skirt and a cardigan. As she approaches the stage, she receives an almost deafening applause, filled with whistles and shouts.

"Nice to see you again, deary. Please state your name and the song you'll be singing," Ms. Darbus says.

"Hello. My name is Gabriella Montez and I will be singing 'We are Young' as performed by fun. for you today," the volunteer says. So, Gabriella's her name. She better be good with all of this cheering she's getting.

She begins to sing.

_Tonight, we are young  
__So let's set the world on fire  
__We can burn brighter  
__Than the sun_

Even before she can finish the chorus, she gets the same deafening applause. She's like a god among these people. She's good. Her range is great, and the tonal quality is exceptional, except when she sounds whiny, which happens a lot with her higher register.

But I say nothing and let her finish her song. She bows and walks off the stage confidently. _She must think she killed it_, I think. I look at Ryan and I know he must be thinking the same thing as me, but we just join in the cheering.

"Thank you, Ms. Montez, for that wonderful display! I think we have time for one more volunteer," Ms. Darbus exclaims. No one volunteers. I sure as hell don't want to, but I seal my fate when I make eye contact with Ms. Darbus. She smiles and takes in a deep breath. "Ms. Evans, do you mind?"

_Of course, I mind. I don't want to do this. You made me introduce myself. And now I have to sing for people. They are all going to criticize at me_, I imagine. "No. I don't mind." The corners of my lips fold into a smile and I'm on my way to the stage. I'm receiving petty claps from a couple of people here and there, except from Ryan who is cheering for me.

"Hi. My name is Sharpay Evans and I will be singing," I freeze up mid-sentence because I realize that I don't know what to sing. I shuffle through the songs in my head and settle on something I heard on the radio during my drive to school. "Excuse me," I clear my throat, "and I will be singing 'Somebody that I Used to Know' by Gotye."

I give Ryan a little nervous smile and he blows a kiss at me, reassuring me, telling me that everything was going to be okay. And then I begin to sing.

_Now and then I think of when we were together.  
__Like when you said you felt so happy you could die.  
__I told myself that you were right for me  
__Felt so lonely in your company.  
__But that was love and it's an ache I still remember._

And then I'm gone. I'm lost in the song and in the performance. I'm in a world of pain. The stage brings me back to my past. I'm in pain. I'm still hurt. I'm dead to myself. I don't know what to do with myself. By the end of the song, I'm breathing heavily with teary eyes.

Through the blur, I see classmates on their feet. They're cheering for me. It takes a while to process, but I get out of character and awkwardly bow. Ryan stands up and yells my name.

"Ms. Evans, that was... exceptional. I do hope you consider Twinkle Towne" Ms. Darbus pats me on the back and tries to quiet the class. "The bell is about to ring, so you guys can grab your stuff. See you all tomorrow!"

I walk past Gabriella, who is glaring at me. She's probably angry I did better than her. Well, maybe I didn't do better than her, but I got louder applause. I try and avoid eye contact because I'm not sure if this girl will take it the wrong way. So I get my bag from my seat and listen to the bell ring.

"She's such a show off," I overhear Gabriella chuckle. What did that bitch just say? Was I supposed to hear that? Was she jealous? I dismiss her comment and wait until she's out of the room. She shoots back one more dirty glance and then leaves the theater.

"At least I was better, bitch." Ryan laughs because he must have overheard the comment Gabriella made.

Ms. Darbus escorts us out of the theater as she talks about her production of Twinkle Towne.

The rest of the day proves to be less eventful. Lunch with Ryan is quiet.

I had AP Language and Psychology for my fifth and sixth periods, respectively. The cute boy was in my sixth period, but so was Gabriella. The kissing and flirting made it obvious that they were together. It's almost like she's obnoxiously making out with him to annoy me. Mission accomplished.

The bell rings and we're dismissed.

In summary, I hate my first, second, third, fifth and sixth periods. There's a cute boy in my first and sixth periods. I love my fourth period, but some bitch in the class hates me. Oh, the irony.

* * *

**Please review! Critiques are openly accepted. Anything will help in my journey as a writer! Thanks!**


	3. I Dreamed a Dream

**Author's Note**: If you don't know "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables, then I suggest listening to it. Both because it's a good song and it might help in understanding the chapter. If not, then carry on.

* * *

The memories are still as vivid as ever. Even when I moved far away from my past, these recurring nightmares followed me.

It started with my junior year in high school. It was lacrosse season, and I had taken an interest in one of the star players, Cory Hynes. He was a senior, and he was perfect. It seemed like everything about him was carved by Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty. He was athletic, had golden brown hair, and a nice tan. He was beautiful, and so of course all the girls went after him. He'd already been accepted to some prestigious private university for an athletic scholarship. He seemed to have no flaw.

So, I decided he would be my boyfriend. And being a cheerleader and being in the same French class was going to help me.

It started with a group French project" "Write about the grandeur of the Eiffel Tower in French and provide a visual representation of the Eiffel Tower". I was sure that all of the girls were going to approach him and take him as a partner, but no one did. So I approached him and casually asked if he wanted to be my partner.

And then we were friends. I would come over to his house and we would work on the project together. It was agreed that he would work on the written part of the project and I would work on the replica of the tower itself. But we didn't really work on our project. We would always be talking about something — like sports, or cheerleading. It's no wonder that he was so popular. He's extremely charismatic and funny.

Our lack of focus was so bad that we finished the project the night before at his house. I was at his house until two in the morning. I texted my mom and told her that I would just sleep there. She met Cory so she was every bit in love with him as I was. She gave me permission to spend the night. And it was one of the most beautiful nights ever.

He held me that night, in his arms as we both slept and it was the most serene situation I'd ever been in. I woke up to his beautiful smile, and some clothes from his mom's closet. If I may say, his mother's sense of style was impeccable. We ate breakfast at a Starbucks before school started and everything seemed perfect with him.

He drove me to school and we presented our project. We got a B- on it because we were both sleepy, Cory's French isn't the best at one o'clock in the morning and the Eiffel Tower was lopsided. Mr. Stirn wrote "It's the Eiffel Tower, not the Leaning Tower of Pisa!" and we both laughed at it because we were happy that our crap effort got us a good grade.

And we got closer. I'd always be cheering at his lacrosse games, and he'd always smile back.

"Hey, I'm having a kickback tonight. It's in celebration of our championship game tonight. My parents aren't going to be home all weekend, and we're pretty confident that we're going to win," he said. Of course I wasn't going to resist. So I agreed and they did win.

I showed up to his house in my cheer uniform right after the game, and the place was packed and filled with people and substances that I'd never seen before. Tables were set up for beer pong. Drugs were everywhere. I tried to just walk past it all and find Cory.

The stench of alcohol is something that I can't stand for more than a couple of minutes. The place was disgusting. I tried to find solace in one of the bathrooms, but there was vomit everywhere.

I found Cory outside in the backyard with a couple of buddies.

When he saw me, he started to approach me. "Hey, Evans, do you want to come up to my room?" I didn't think much of it because, though his breath was obviously filled with the scent of alcohol. _He wouldn't drink that much_.

Big mistake. This is always where the nightmares begin.

He took me up to his room. "Hey, do you want to make us official?"

This question, had it been asked any other time with him would have been easy to answer. _Yes_. But this didn't feel right. Everything about the situation. The alcoholic stench on his breath. He was sliding his hands up my cheer uniform. He was kissing my neck. He was whispering disgusting things in my ear. He wasn't himself.

"Not like this," I said. It became harder and harder to resist his movements, which were growing increasingly more powerful. I was almost fighting with him then, pushing him away, shoving his arms away from me. "It has to be special."

"Babe, listen, you're going to like it." Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. He wasn't being modest about drinking. No. It was a Friday night. His parents were gone the whole weekend. He could drink as much as he wanted. He could do whatever he wanted. I would be his weekend play thing. I needed to find a way out.

"No!" I screamed. I got enough courage to knee him in his groin, which only deterred him for a couple of seconds, enough for me to run to the door. But he locked it, and the couple of seconds it takes to try and unlock the door is enough for him to grab me and throw me on his bed. _This can't be happening_, I thought.

I was screaming. Screaming for help. But it was no use. Music was drowning out everything. He returned the pain I caused in his groin with a slap to my face. "Listen, slut. Shut the fuck up and take it. You're going to like. You love me, right?"

He was twisting my words and feelings. I wouldn't mind losing it to Cory. I don't have any difficulty admitting to him that I was starting to fall for him. But this isn't love. The pain from his slap and the realization of what was going on hit me. I was no longer screaming, but crying and pleading.

"Please, Cory." There's a long pause. "Please. Not like this. Not like this." There was still hope that he was going to stop, even when he was taking off my uniform, even when he was kissing my neck, my abdomen.

But there was no stopping Cory. He was a horny bastard. A drunk horny bastard. He grabbed a condom from his drawer and put it around his weapon. And then he attacked.

The pain was unreal. I was still screaming, but he was not stopping. The screaming was some sort of fuel because he would only go faster. When I couldn't scream anymore, I stopped.

There was no love behind my first sexual experience. Only lust and disgust. Those fifteen minutes with him have changed me forever. That moment has worked its way into every nightmare I've ever had.

And every nightmare has its variations.

* * *

I wake up from my dream. In this version of the nightmare, Cory is a murderer, stabbing me with a knife until I die. I wake from my bed crying quietly. And then reality settles in. I'm not with the monster. He's not hurting me. I'm at home. I'm in Albuquerque. I'm safe.

This is my third week at East High, but today was a special day: The auditions for the Twinkle Towne musical. Darbus is very secretive about the entire show, but all we're allowed to know is there is to be two characters, Arnold and Minnie. And two understudies. If we want a shot at the lead roles, then we need to audition in pairs. The understudies would perform one night, and the leads would perform the other three nights.

My only competition is Gabriella. She wants the role of Minnie. So did I.

Only our auditions would tell.

* * *

I walk into fourth period with a strange sense of confidence. Today is the day of the auditions, and Ryan and I have been practicing for a week for our song. I'm kind of curious as to who Gabriella is choosing as her partner.

Ms. Darbus walks in excitedly, and almost frantically. The auditions must be practicing. "Ah, young thespians. Welcome. Erm." There was a long silence even Darbus couldn't explain. "You will be given this period to practice your song for the audition." The auditions are being held after school, so she must be finalizing the sign in sheets and the audition process.

As Ms. Darbus exits the room to handle business dealing with the auditions, Gabriella makes a big deal about her practicing. "Hey, guys. Can I practice my song in front of you guys?" The class, of course, reacts with enthusiasm. I'm a little surprised that she got her boyfriend to do it though.

Gabriella has annoyed me ever since I first heard her sing "We are Young". She's cocky and she's not that great. She's good and has so much room to grow, but she's oblivious to the fact that even she needs work. We haven't gotten along my first three weeks here, and I'm not sure if we ever are going to get along. Every time I've tried to speak, she's interrupted me.

"Okay, my boyfriend and I are auditioning for the lead roles in Twinkle Towne and we're going to be singing 'My Endless Love' and I'd love it if you guys could give me tips on what I can work on."

She's just fishing for compliments and I feel like I'm going to vomit. So she goes through the song.

"And_ yes, you'll be the only one_  
_Cuz no one can deny_  
_This love I have inside,_  
_And I'll give it all to you_  
_My love, my love, my love_  
_My endless love_."

And, as always, the students love her. They eat her performance up like a sandwich. Bravos. Bravas. Whistles.

But this time I choose not to remain silent. I raise my hand and the class goes silent. "Gabriella, I have a couple of pointers."

Now, I'm new to this class, but no one can deny that I'm pretty good. And I'm sure my fellow peers can sense the tension between the me and Gabriella. I can tell Gabriella wants to interrupt, but she can't. She asked for this.

"You get a little whiny when you're belting and using your head voice, and your whole performance doesn't seem genuine. I'm not fully convinced that you're singing to your one true love." I say it as honestly as and with all sincerity possible, but even this seems too snide of a gesture for Gabriella. She gets off the stage and start walking towards me.

The classroom is bouncing back between staring at me and staring at Gabriella. Whatever the hell was about to happen, they were going to get a good show.

"Listen, bitch. Sharpie, or whatever the hell your name is," She's approaching me and getting threateningly close. "I don't need you to tell me what my strengths and weaknesses are. You can back the hell away from me and my drama program. Because you are a nobody here. You seriously think that you are all that because you sang one good song."

The lovely thing about me is I don't take shit from anyone and Gabriella was clearly trying to shove a whole pile of it on me.

I put on my best mocking tone. "Listen, Gabby," I stand so that my eyes can meet hers. "You aren't that good." Every word comes out crisply and slowly so that she can fully absorb what I'm trying to tell her.

The whole room is on edge. I can feel Ryan try and pull my away, but I'm not going to budge.

The next thing happens so quickly. Gabriella slaps me across the face so hard that I stumble and take a few steps back. I'm never one to start a fight, but I'll be the one to end it. I jump on Gabriella and we just go at it. She's pulling my hair and I'm pulling hers. We're screaming at each other. Bitch. Slut. Whore.

Ryan warns us that Ms. Darbus is on her way, so we stop. "Listen, Sharpay," she begins as Darbus walks through the doors. "Break a leg." Ms. Darbus smiles at the false gesture of theatrical friendship.

_If only I could break yours_.

* * *

The auditions are crazy. They were closed to anyone who wasn't auditioning, so I got to watch every audition. Some people shouldn't be allowed to enter a theater. Some people clearly belong in the theater. The latter category is where Gabriella and her boyfriend belong. They are actually really good.

"Hello, my name is Gabriella Montez and this is my partner, Troy Bolton, and we will be singing 'My Endless Love' by Lionel Richie." _So his name is Troy Bolton_, I can't help think. He's cute and that's what scares me.

Their audition, despite my ill feelings towards Gabriella, was really good. Troy doesn't seem to comfortable on stage, but they work together. It's cute. Troy is running across stage chasing Gabriella and they've completely changed the arrangement to make it sound brighter and happier. Troy's voice is the nicest male voice I've heard here so far. It's second only to Ryan's voice, and I'm even questioning that.

And this terrifies me. Their audition was good, but mine needs to be better. I need this role as some sort of way to achieve emotional catharsis, a way to get me back to who I once was.

Gabriella and Troy take their place in the audience. Ryan and I are last to go. We do our usual pre-show vocal warm-ups, and get on stage.

"Hello, my name is Sharpay Evans."

"And my name is Ryan Evans."

"And we will be singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Miserables."

This song is perfect. Having life turn out the opposite of what you expected. Having the cruelty of reality crush any sense of optimism and expectations you once had. Again, this song is _perfect_.

So we begin singing.

"_As they tear your hope apart_  
_And they turn your dream to shame_  
_He slept a summer by my side_  
_He filled my days with endless wonder_  
_He took my childhood in his stride_  
_But he was gone when autumn came_"

The harmonies are lining up so far, and Ryan and I are really into it. Tears are falling rapidly from both of our eyes because we know how much the song means to both of us.

"_And still I dream he'll come to me_  
_That we'll live the years together_  
_But there are dreams that cannot be_  
_And there are storms we cannot weather_  
_I had a dream my life would be_  
_So different from this hell I'm living_"

And then comes to big belting section. "So_ different now_..." And this is my moment to shine, to prove to everyone and myself that I can rise above. "_from what it_..." This is the biggest belting section of the song, and I... crack. "_seemed_." The crack causes me to break character for a split second, but I know the show must go on.

"_Now life has killed the dream I dreamed_."

There's applause, but it's not registering. I cracked. Gabriella's going to get the part. She's got it. Not because she was better, but because I cracked. Because I couldn't sustain a simple long "ee" vowel.

Ryan can see the panic in my eyes and tries to hug me, but it's no use. I walk off the stage.

"The results for the roles of Minnie and Arnold will be posted up on Monday," Ms. Darbus begins. "Excellent job to all."

* * *

The weekend is too long for me to think. Ryan and I spend it assessing the faults in our audition and Troy and Gabriella's audition. We've pretty much narrowed our competition down to these two.

And then Monday comes around. Gabriella, Ryan and I are the earliest ones to the theater, and we walk over to the little glass case next to the theater. Ms. Darbus arrives early too, with the list in hand and she staples it to the board within in the glass case. The suspense is killing me. My hands are sweating and the adrenaline is coursing through my veins. And I look.

My eyes are lying to me. There's no decided roles for Minnie and Arnold. Gabriella, Troy, Ryan and I have callbacks.

* * *

**So please review! I hope you guys liked this chapter. **

**Songs used: "My Endless Love" by Lionel Richie and "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables.**


	4. Callbacks

**Author's Note**: Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. Thank you for the people who are keeping up with this story!

* * *

Our callbacks are scheduled for this Thursday. That gives us roughly three days to prepare, if Ryan and I practice immediately. Songs come rushing through my head. Our lighting cues need to be perfect. Our costumes need to be perfect. This audition needs to be perfect, or I can kiss the role of Minnie goodbye.

Gabriella is clearly fuming. She's distraught over the fact that I got a callback, even though I cracked during "I Dreamed A Dream". This bitch needs to calm down. I'm sure Darbus has a method to her madness. But, knowing me, I'd probably be fuming too. I certainly wouldn't have given myself a callback. I'm wondering what Ms. Darbus's goal is here. It's odd.

"But, Ms. Darbus, this isn't fair," Gabriella pleads desperately. "I deserve this role and you know it." That's clearly a snide remark for me, but I choose to ignore it.

"Ms. Montez," Ms. Darbus dryly gets out. "It's not a matter of whether or not you are deserving, or if Ms. Evans is deserving. Twinkle Towne is more than a monologue, or a one-woman show. No. It is centered around the lives of two people- two lovers, specifically. Arnold and Minnie will kiss in Twinkle Towne." She allows her last statement to sink in, and when it does, I'm left with a bitter understanding of what's going on. "I saw potential in both auditions, from all four of you. You will not audition in couples, as it would be odd to see two siblings portray lovers. Please prepare for your _individual_ callbacks accordingly."

If Ryan and I both end up as understudies, then we both probably will substitute for the lead roles only when necessary. The odds aren't technically in either mine or Ryan's favor, but this is show business, and the show must go on.

"Are you allowed to tell us which performance was better?" I ask plainly. I need to know.

"No. Troy and Gabriella had better stage connection, but you and Ryan had an overall better blend," She answers. Gabriella seems to relish in the fact that she connected with Troy better, but Ryan and I do the same over our blend.

"Any more questions?" she asks impatiently. "I thought so." Ms. Darbus storms off ever so elegantly. Gabriella clearly wants to say something, but she leaves for her first period.

I'm not quite sure if she understands that it might not be her and her boyfriend performing as Arnold and Minnie. It might be her and Ryan. Or me and Troy.

* * *

When I arrive to my first period, I notice the boy who Gabriella auditioned with. Troy. He looks back at me and I try to scan the room, pretending to observe scenery that isn't there, but it's obvious that the eye contact was made, and he's making his way over to me. _Crap, I don't want to talk to him_.

"Hey," he says. "Your name is Sharpay, right?" Not only have I not answered, but I've made it a point to not make eye contact with him. He's associated with Gabriella, so whatever he plans on saying will probably just be an extension of Gabriella's hatred for me. Yet he's undeterred and still talking. "I hope you know that I don't hate you. Gabby doesn't either. I think she's just jealous because there's never been a real sense of competition for her. She doesn't like it." I'm not sure if I'm supposed to know this, but he just keeps talking. "I just wanted to compliment you on your audition. It was fantastic. You deserved the callback."

For a brief moment, I search his face to see any signs of insincerity. But the signs aren't there. He's being genuine. "Thanks," I manage to get out. "Your audition was really good too. You have a really lovely voice. "

"Thanks, Sharpay. I don't think we've formally met yet. My name is Troy Bolton."

I hesitate to reply, but it'd be rude not to, and he seems nice enough. "Hello, Troy. I'm Sharpay Evans." He grabs my hand to shake it and then smiles at me, revealing his perfect set of teeth. He reminds me of Cory so much. He's so good looking that I make sure that I have my guard up around him always. I don't trust him. I know what he can do.

Cory used to smile that way, and I trusted that smile. Until his lustful and prurient interests took advantage of me.

"You should eat lunch with Gabriella and I today! Invite your brother! I'm sure he knows some of them. Don't be alarmed when you see that we're kind of an awkward group of people. A combination of sporty, theatrical and intelligent people." This reminds me that I've made next to no friends while I've been here at East High. I'm not antisocial; I just keep to myself a lot of the time. Being friends with Troy might allow me to befriend other people, but then again it'd mean being around Gabriella.

I weigh my options in my head and try to come up with a sound conclusion. It's better than eating lunch in front of the vending machines with Ryan. "Sure," I begin. "Sure. That sounds nice, Troy."

Troy smiles at me again and takes a seat when Mr. Ramirez begins his lecture on the digestive system.

I might have made by first friend here, but I don't trust him.

* * *

When I arrive to my fourth period, Gabriella is there, and the whole room seems to understand that there is underlying tension between us. Gabriella probably made a big fuss before I got there.

Ms. Darbus arrives and decides to ignore the tension that's obviously present. She spends the period going over facials and facial exercises. In our one hour period, she teaches us the basics to angry, happy, and sad facials. It turns out that there's differing degrees and intensities in facials, and Ms. Darbus is very thorough and sure not to leave anyone behind.

When the bell rings, I walk to Ryan and tell him that we've been invited to eat lunch with Troy and Gabriella. He seems to light up at this. And then I feel bad. For the whole time I've been dealing with my past situation, he's been there for me, by my side, without question. And I love him for that, but I know that, deep down inside, he wishes that he didn't have to guard and protect me all the time. He's my brother, not my bodyguard. I don't blame him. It's a twin thing. I know that sometimes he craves to be with other people, but he's a good person. He would never leave me alone if he knew I couldn't handle it. I love him dearly for it. I was hoping he'd disagree and convince me not to sit with them, but if it makes Ryan happy, then I guess I'm happy.

Troy waves me over to his table. As I suspected, he's popular. But I didn't think much of his earlier comment. _A combination of sporty, theatrical and intelligent people_. No joke. There's cheerleaders, basketball players, dancers, thespians, etc. They all introduce themselves to me. Chad. Taylor. Kelsi. Zeke. Jason. Martha. These are the ones that stand out the most to me. I recognize Kelsi and Taylor. They're in my drama class, and are Gabriella's friends.

Which brings me to Gabriella, she clearly isn't happy that I'm sitting with her friends. I'm sure that the isn't the first that the table has heard of me. Gabriella purses her lips, no doubt in anger. This a whole different component of her life I might be messing with.

Ryan and I sit there as they all exchange light conversation among themselves. They talk about mundane things, like assignments, stress over personal statements for college applications, boys, girls, etc.

"Did you ever get professional training? Your voice is good." Taylor's question comes from out of the blue, but I'm sure it's directed towards me.

"Yes; We received on and off vocal training," I reply. "And thanks."

It's weird with the conversation shifting to me and Ryan. I'm not comfortable talking about myself.

"So, Sharpay and Ryan," Kelsi begins. "Where did you guys come you from?"

"We transferred from Salt Lake High School." I can hear the groans as I say the high school. Our lacrosse teams aren't fond of one another. East High is one of the best in the state of New Mexico, and Salt Lake High is one of the best of Utah.

Ryan continues, "It's been really nice here, though. Hopefully the lacrosse teams can battle it out again."

"Ryan, do you play any sports?" This time, it's Chad asking the question.

"Yes; I play baseball and golf," he begins. "And I dance, if you consider that a sport."

"We have to play sometime!" Chad proposes.

"That reminds me. We're having a scrimmage basketball game against West High today," Troy begins. Gabriella glares at him, but Troy continues, "it'd be cool if you guys could come and support."

"That would be cool," Ryan replies and gives me a smile.

"That does sound cool, but I have to prepare for my callback. Maybe next time? But Ryan, you should go."

Troy looks disappointed. "Oh, alright." But Gabriella's disposition has shifted. She's happy that I'm not going to spend time with her friends.

"I'll go," Ryan happily says. He looks at me for approval and I don't object, though I'd rather have Ryan by my side, instead of out and about with other people. But I refuse to chain him down. I've done enough of that already. He deserves to be happy.

* * *

The song I've chosen for callbacks is "I Dreamed A Dream". I need to prove to Ms. Darbus, myself and Gabriella that I can hit the high note. I practice with every opportunity that I get. In the shower, in my head, in fourth period, in the bathroom, in the car. I need to perfect this song. I need to go into the callback knowing that I cannot fail.

The practice seems to be paying off because I think I'm getting better, but I'm not seeing Ryan practice as much as me. He's been hanging out with our - well, mostly his - new group of friends as of late. It makes me happy to see him branch out, but makes me worried because he isn't practicing.

In my recent nightmares, Cory has been interrupting my practice or my actual audition by coming onto stage, stark naked, and ripping my throat open, watching and laughing as I die. Ryan's still there for me when I wake up from my nightmares with cold beads of sweat dripping down my face, and tears streaming down my cheeks. I hope that I get better, sometimes not even for my sake, but for Ryan's sake. He's done so much for me; I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to repay him.

I've practiced so much, that on the day of the callback, I'm actually excited. Troy, Gabriella, Ryan and I report to the theater after school on Thursday. It was an open callback, so a couple of people have decided to make an appearance, namely Troy and Gabriella's group of friends.

Then Ms. Darbus's entrance sends a hush through the audience. "Hello, thespians. Welcome to the callbacks of the Twinkle Towne musical. Let's get right into business. Troy, you are first. Then Sharpay. Followed by Gabriella. And then Ryan."

I'm second. Sometimes the positioning in the lineup of something can have a tremendous impact on it. What if Gabriella is more memorable than I am because she's after me? Ryan's lucky. He gets to make the last impression.

Troy hands his sheet music over to Kelsi, who is the callback accompanist. And he introduces himself. "Hello, my name is Troy Bolton, and I will be singing 'Payphone' by Maroon 5." A Top 40. I'm not surprised. I join in with the cheers that his friends are so zealously providing him with.

And he begins.

"_I'm at a payphone trying to call home_  
_All of my change I spent on you_  
_Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong_  
_Where are the plans we made for two?_"

His audition is really cute. I don't think he's been practicing because he's kind of awkward with his facials. But he's working and owning the stage. He's a real crowd pleaser. I love it, and so does the audience, because when he's done, they give him earsplitting applause.

Then it hits me. _Crap. I'm next_, I think. I walk onto the stage, hand my sheet music over to Kelsi and introduce myself. "Hello, my name is Sharpay Evans, and I will be singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' from the musical, Les Miserables."

Kelsi begins playing.

"_And still I dream he'll come to me_  
_That we will live the years together_  
_But there are dreams that cannot be  
__And there are storms we cannot weather_"

Again, I'm lost in the song. And then it's the section that I've been practicing this whole week. "_So different now from what it..._" And I nail it. I nail it and I almost break character, but I don't. I'm so damn happy that I did it. "_Seemed. Now life has killed the dream I dreamed_."

There's applause, but the adrenaline is so overwhelming that I almost don't notice it. Ms. Darbus only allows me to enjoy the limelight for a while longer, until she calls up Gabriella.

She walks onto the stage confidently, and then introduces herself. Even when I'm proud of audition, I admire her ability to carry herself confidently. I'll admit: I'm tough competition. "Good afternoon. My names is Gabriella Montez, and I will be singing 'Skyscraper' by Demi Lovato." _Definitely a belting song_, I think.

"_Go on and try to tear me down_  
_I will be rising from the ground_  
_Like a skyscraper_."

But, to my surprise, and maybe to my dismay, she's adhered to my words of advice. Her higher notes aren't as thin and whiny as they used to be. Her audition is great. I hate to admit it, but the bitch is performing wonderfully. I'm almost moved. I can't help think that the song is aimed towards me, but I dismiss the thought and clap for her. She did well.

"And last, but not least... Mr. Evans," Ms. Darbus announced.

"Thank you, Ms. Darbus. Good afternoon. My name is Ryan Evans and I will be singing 'Cough Syrup' by Young the Giant." What? That choice is so unlike him. A rock song? Not a musical number? He could have chosen a better song, but I trust that he knows what he's doing.

"_So I run now to the things they said could restore me_  
_Restore life the way it should be_  
_I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down_."

His audition is still good. He's belting nicely. It's supported. My fingers are crossed for him, and I give him a standing ovation when he's finished.

Ms. Darbus allows Ryan to have his applause, and then she walks onto the stage. "You guys are making this very difficult, but the results will be posted up tomorrow. Break a leg." She dismisses us all from the theater, so Ryan and I head home.

When Ryan and I get home, Ryan can tell that I want to ask him why he chose the song he did. "Just go ahead and ask."

"Why? Why that song?" I ask, with a mock concerned face. "I'm kidding. Your audition was great, but why that song?"

"I thought you'd never ask," he jokingly begins. "I sang it, well... Because the song's about breaking free, and I sang it for you. I believe that one day you will be cured of these nightmares and this depression. You are going to be the same Sharpay as before. We will get out of this," he says, giving me a reassuring kiss on my forehead.

I hate being vulnerable, but if there's anyone that I'm going to be vulnerable around, then it's going to be Ryan. What he says touches me so much, and I let myself cry in front of him. He still has hope for me, even when I've lost all of mine. I love my twin.

* * *

It's the second moment of truth. I can't believe that this is happening again. Ms. Darbus must get a kick out of seeing her students struggle over roles. The roles will be posted on the kiosk next to the theater.

Troy, Ryan, Gabriella and I are all anxiously awaiting Ms. Darbus's final answer in the theater. We all did well. Gabriella's audition was stellar, but mine was good too. But I also have to take into consideration Troy and Ryan. If Ryan gets Arnold, then I'm going to be an understudy.

"Hey, whatever happens, we're cool with one another?" Troy asks hopefully. Leave it to him to be the mediator. We all give him fake nods of agreement, but Gabriella and I will clearly hold a grudge over whoever gets the role of Minnie.

We hear the click of her heels, and immediately get quiet. She arrives, takes a moment to acknowledge us, and then she opens the kiosk and staples the results onto it. She motions to it excitedly and we all run towards it.

And Darbus has pulled the biggest twist she can with leads and understudies. There aren't understudies. She's double casted the roles for Minnie and Arnold. Except Gabriella and Ryan are partners for two nights. And Troy and I are partners for the other two nights. Gabriella is going to kiss Ryan... And I'm going to kiss Troy.

"Surprise!" Ms. Darbus exclaims.

* * *

**Again, I am so sorry that this took a long time updating. I've been really busy lately, so I apologize. PLEASE, please, please review. It's so helpful! And thank you to those who have been reviewing. You guys make continuing this fanfic worth it!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the songs that were used here. Song lyrics used: "Payphone" by Maroon 5, "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables, "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato, and "Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant.


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